Deliverance
by Ceireavne
Summary: Although a scion of House Nordion by blood, Nanna has been raised in Lenster and groomed as the fiancé of its crown prince, Leif. After being rescued by Seliph's liberation army, Nanna meets her half-cousin Ares. She still remembers the stories Lachesis told of her brother Eltshan, and Nanna soon finds herself harboring the very same admiration toward the black knight.
1. Recollection

"Seliph's liberation army is finally here." The relief in Finn's voice was palpable.

"I'm surprised we managed on our own as long as we did," muttered Leif.

Three of Seliph's riders approached, ahead the rest of his army. One was armed with bow, and the other two with swords. "Prince Leif of Agustria, I presume," the sword knight called out.

"Aye. And you're Lord Seliph's liberation army, sent by Lewyn?" Leif called back.

The three knights halted before Leif's own forces, and the sword knight continued. "Indeed. What is the situation here? How far out are the enemy forces?"

"We just beat back another wave, it'll be some time before they can muster anything more," Finn said grimly. "But we need to defeat Bloom. Otherwise he won't stop until he's sent all the able-bodied men of Alster to their deaths."

"Of course," the knight agreed somberly. "I'll ride back to Lord Seliph to debrief him, then." He glanced at his two companions. "Ares, Lester, could you stay here with Leif's forces?"

Nanna felt her heart race as she heard the name Ares. She had heard tales about a cousin by the same name from both Lachesis and Finn, although she'd had to force it out of the latter. A niggling doubt crawled its way into her heart and she couldn't help but wonder if it was at all the same man. The chances were pretty slim, after all.

"They'll be safe with us," the bow knight replied. "Ride safely, Delmud."

The other knight smiled grimly. "Bloom's soldiers will fall like chaff to my blade. The demon sword Mystletainn, yet to slake its thirst, will revel in the blood of our enemies."

Nanna couldn't help but laugh to herself. Although she no doubt believed the cavalier was capable of wreaking havoc, such words sounded strange coming from a knight.

Ares gave Nanna a sour look, as though she had every reason to be impressed by his bluster.

Leif unsheathed his sword and brandished it toward Alster. "Let's go, then. We'll take the fight to Bloom, and Lord Seliph will back us up from the west!"

The other warriors followed suit, drawing their weapons and beginning the march to Alster.

* * *

As the din of battle died away, Nanna made her way to the cavalier from before. Ares was brushing his black stallion, the evening sun dying his hair bronze.

"Your name was Ares, right?" Nanna asked him.

The warrior glanced over his shoulder to her, one of his eyebrows quirked in curiosity. "Yes. Ares the Black Knight. Do you need something of me?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I just wanted to thank you, is all."

Ares paused, before he continued brushing his horse. "A mere trifle. I simply did as the blade Mystletainn called my sword hand to do."

Nanna managed to stifle her laughter this time, but did smile at his response.

Footsteps sounded nearby, and she turned to see Leif approaching. "Nanna, I was looking for you. The villagers set up a feast for Seliph's army. They're quite happy to be free from Bloom's grip."

The troubadour curtsied to her fiancé with a brief smile. "Of course. I'll be there shortly, Lord Leif. I was just expressing my gratitude to Ares."

Leif looked at the other man. "Ah, Ares, was it? I've never seen a warrior fight such as you. You were out there like a man possessed," he said with an appreciative grin.

Ares heaved a sigh before putting down his brush. He turned to Leif, his expression unreadable. "Lord Leif, it was no trouble, believe me." Placing a reverent hand on Mystletainn's hilt, he continued, "I consider myself your ally as long as fate aligns us so."

The Thracian prince smiled in amusement. "Well then. Ares, you care to join us at the feast?"

Ares gave an indifferent shrug in response.

Leif quirked his head sidelong at the cavalier, then looked back to Nanna. "Oh well. Let's go, then," he said with a winsome smile.

"Of course, milord," Nanna said with another curtsy. The two left the cavalier to his solitude.

Once they were out of earshot, Leif glanced to his companion. "Pretty strange guy, isn't he?"

Nanna pursed her lips thoughtfully, unsure how to reply.

The prince snickered in response. "Well, I can't complain. You saw him fight, didn't you?"

"Indeed," the troubadour said with a nod.

The two met with the rest of the army in one of Alster castle's halls. They joined Seliph and his army in the festivities, unwinding from their laborious campaign. There was music, food, and even a little bit of wine.

Before long, the sword knight from before made his way through the clamor over to the troubadour. "You're Nanna, right?"

She blinked at him in surprise. "Yes. The others called you Delmud, didn't they?"

He nodded rigorously in response. "Yes, it's me! Remember your brother Delmud? I've finally found you, and you're safe!" he said, hugging her.

The troubadour fumbled for words in her confusion. "Huh?" she asked, shaking her head. "Is this a joke?"

"Not at all. During the last war, all of us kids left to Isaach. But our mother Lachesis came here to Lenster with you after you were born," Delmud explained.

She pressed the sword knight away from her, frowning. "If you're my brother, then where is she now?"

Delmud's face darkened. "You mean mother?"

Nanna nodded solemnly. "She left Lenster when I was only three years old. To find you and our cousin Ares, but she never came back. Father and I have waited all this time, but she hasn't returned."

"I..." Delmud furrowed his brow. "But she never made it to Isaach."

Nanna felt her eyes begin stinging with tears, and she let out a bitter sigh. She'd long since come to terms with her mother's disappearance, but the reopened wound brought with it the same familiar grief.

Delmud hugged his sister once again. "Sorry, Nanna... I didn't mean to kill the festive mood." Parting from her, the sword knight smiled his most reassuring smile. "I'm just really glad to see you. It really has been so long. And our cousin Ares is with us, too!"

The troubadour shot him a quizzical glance, meeting his blue-gray gaze. "Our cousin?" she asked, her voice equal parts bleak and curious.

Her brother nodded agreement. "The cavalier from earlier. He's the son of Eltshan, our mother's brother. That's where he inherited that fearsome blade from," Delmud explained.

Nanna was dumbfound for a full instant, her mouth going slack.

Delmud grinned to his sister. "Sure, he's pretty strange. To be honest, I haven't gotten to know him very well. He likes to keep to himself, but he seems like an alright guy."

The troubadour felt the stories she'd been told clashing and twining with her own recent memories, leaving her wonderstruck. Eltshan had left a deep impression on her mother, who likewise had cared greatly for her nephew Ares. Though Nanna had been quite young, she could remember the passion with which Lachesis told stories of them. She had been too young to remember the words themselves, except for the versions later retold by Finn.

"I..." she stammered, "I suppose so." The troubadour managed a weak smile, unsure what else to say.

The sword knight peered thoughtfully at his sister, then was struck with an idea. "Nanna, care to dance with me?" he asked, taking her hand.

She laughed aloud, allowing herself to be led to the dance floor. Sat nearby, Leif caught Nanna's gaze and gave her a charming smile of approval.

The music was quite upbeat and festive, and there were already plenty of dancers participating. Ulster and a few others from Seliph's army led the floor in a dance from Isaach. The dance in question involved frequent switching of partners, and Nanna wound up dancing with each participant in turn.

Once the party finally began winding down, Nanna felt much better. Whether or not their mother was gone, there really wasn't much she and Delmud could do about it. However, the physical activity had been quite cathartic, and Nanna felt more clear-headed than before.

She wandered to the stable, where she'd found Ares before. He was no longer there, but Nanna did find the cavalier's black stallion.

The troubadour smiled softly in the darkness. "I don't suppose you know where Ares went, do you?"

The horse merely responded with a tired sigh.

"I didn't think so," Nanna mused. "Well, give him my regards when you see him." With that, she left and made her way to her room for the night.


	2. Recompense

Bloom was defeated, and the whole of northern Thracia finally liberated. Leif was beside himself with joy, and even Nanna felt a glimmer of pride at their accomplishment. Seliph's army took a few days to recuperate at Mease castle as the remnants of King Travant's forces fled south to regroup and lick their wounds.

Nanna hadn't had another chance to speak to her cousin—he'd successfully made himself scarce outside of combats. The troubadour found her brother in one of Mease castle's studies, reading.

She knocked on the doorway, catching his attention.

"Ah, Nanna," he said with a smile. "You doing alright?"

She reciprocated his cheer with a smile of her own. "Actually, I wanted to know," she said with a sidelong glance, "have you seen Ares? I had hoped to talk to him again."

Delmud bit his lip pensively. "Hmm... have you checked the track just outside Mease?" he asked, pointing to the northwest. "He's been practicing quite a bit, last I knew."

Nanna smiled gratefully. "I'll go check it out, thanks."

Her brother nodded helpfully. "If that doesn't pan out, maybe ask Lene. She'd probably know where he's at."

She nodded once more before excusing herself. Finding Lene could prove to be a task in and of itself, so Nanna set to looking for the track Delmud had mentioned. It wouldn't be too far from the stable, so that's where she would start.

The troubadour found Ares' horse missing from its stall, and one of the trails leaving the stable did in fact head northwest. Nanna saddled and mounted her own horse, following the trail til she eventually found the track.

Her cousin was there, single-mindedly pressing his equine partner through his paces. Ditches had been dug throughout the course, which Ares and his mount navigated flawlessly. He noticed his visitor and broke from practice, cutting across the field at an easy trot.

Nanna waved, and rode out to meet the cavalier. "Ares, have you got a moment?"

His face creased into the slightest of smiles, and he nodded agreement. "Of course. Something the matter?"

"You're Lord Eltshan's son, right?" she blurted out.

"I am," he agreed. "Something wrong with that?"

The troubadour shook her head. "No, not at all. I..." she found herself briefly tongue-tied. "I'm the daughter of Eltshan's sister."

Immediately the cavalier's expression brightened. "Lachesis' daughter? You?"

Nanna smiled sheepishly. "Yes, indeed. I recognized your name, last we met, but I wasn't sure it was you. Not until after Delmud explained it to me in Alster."

Ares took an appreciative glance at her, but there was something quizzical about his expression. "You're..." he shook his head faintly. "Mother rarely spoke of Lachesis, but never had anything good to say about her. You're nothing like her stories."

The troubadour cocked her head curiously at that remark. "Is that a good thing... ?"

The black knight's brow quirked in amusement. "It's good meeting you, cousin."

His warm voice made Nanna smile, and she was reminded of the stories her parents had told her about Eltshan. Though she had never met the late king, Nanna imagined that Ares was every bit his son. "Could we..." she began, "do you mind catching up a bit?"

Ares nodded dutifully. "Of course." The two began riding their mounts back to the stable together.

"Mother left Lenster when I was very young," Nanna explained on the way. "She meant to find you and Delmud."

"Where is she now?" he asked, glancing to his cousin.

Nanna frowned, and once more she felt the old wound tugging on her heartstrings. "I don't know," she breathed. "She's been gone for a while, now."

The cavalier grimaced. "I shouldn't have asked. My apologies, Nanna."

"Don't worry about it," she said, watching the ground pass underhoof. "None of us really had unbroken families, did we? I've had father, but he's... the first war was hard on him. He's done the best he could, as prince Leif's retainer, as well as my father. But he's..." she trailed off, at a loss for words.

It was her cousin who eventually broke the silence between them. "When Sigurd's army took to war with Agustria, mother and I fled to Lenster," Ares explained. "And when the Grannvale Empire stormed Lenster, mother was killed."

Nanna looked to the cavalier, shocked. "I'm sorry," she told him, tears welling in her eyes.

Ares shook his head. "Like you said before... none of us had unbroken families. The war was hard on all of Jugdral."

The troubadour found herself in sullen silence, once more watching the ground pass below.

Ares continued after some time. "And after that, I was picked up and raised by a mercenary named Jabarro. He took me to Darna, treated me like his own son." The cavalier heaved a pained sigh before finishing. "And now _he's_ gone, cut down by the Mystletainn."

Nanna's heart ached as she heard the hollowness in her cousin's voice. Arvis' Empire had left all of Jugdral and its people in pain. "I'm so sorry," she managed, choking back tears.

Riding his horse closer to hers, Ares reached up and placed a reassuring hand on Nanna's shoulder. "All the more reason to bring Arvis down, right?"

The troubadour glanced to her companion and was met with a gentle smile. It made her heart flutter, and Nanna felt her cheeks reddening. Despite his usually dour manner, the cavalier could be very charming.

"You're right," she agreed.

Ares returned the hand to his stallion's reins. "But I can't forgive Seliph, either," he said bitterly.

Nanna turned to her cousin, confused. "But what did Lord Seliph do to you?"

His face darkened as he spoke. "His father, Sigurd, was the mortal foe of Eltshan. And it was because of Sigurd that my father died," the cavalier said grimly.

"But," Nanna began, "Father has told me, Eltshan was executed by order of King Chagall. Uncle couldn't bring himself to fight Sigurd. They'd been friends their whole lives."

The black knight fell silent, processing his cousin's words.

Nanna frowned, unsure what else to say. "Father was there to see it firsthand. But," she continued, "there's something else." The troubadour fished a sealed letter from her cloak and offered it to him. "Mother left me with this. I think... she might have known she wouldn't succeed in finding you."

Ares glanced at the letter, stunned. "That's," he stammered, "the seal of Nordion. But father..." He took the letter and opened it, immediately scanning its contents. Tears began welling in the knight's eyes as his face grew ever stormier. "It's true," he managed through clenched teeth.

The stable was not far off, and the two cousins finished their trek in silence. After dismounting and returning their horses to their stalls, the two began heading back to Mease.

"You have my thanks, Nanna," Ares said, glancing to his cousin.

She smiled as best she could. "Of course. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

The cavalier shook his head in response. "You did plenty. I... I'll need to be speaking to Lord Seliph," he said, looking to the nearby castle. "If you'll excuse me, milady."

"Of course," Nanna said with a delicate curtsy. "Thank you for your time, cousin."

Ares nodded somberly, then took his leave.


	3. Uplands

Seliph's liberation army didn't have time to fully rest again until after the conquest of Thracia. Nanna was in a cozy corner of the castle's spartan library, quietly reading a book. Leif and Finn sat nearby, engaged in a game of chess.

"Nanna, are you free?" a voice called from the doorway. It was her cousin, Ares.

The troubadour, though surprised, couldn't help but smile. "Do you need something, cousin?"

His face was unreadable as he replied. "I thought perhaps you might appreciate some riding lessons, is all. The weather is quite fit for it."

Leif glanced between the chess board and Ares, seeming faintly annoyed by the suggestion.

Nanna replied without thinking. "Yes, I'd like that." She glanced to the Thracian prince. "Do you mind, Leif?"

He looked ready to say something, but instead shrugged dismissively.

Turning back to her cousin, the troubadour's lips quirked into a grin. "Then let's go."

Ares nodded and gave her a warm smile. The two made their way to the stable and saddled their mounts before heading out.

"So what kind of riding lesson did you have in mind?" Nanna asked her companion.

The cavalier merely furrowed his brow and kept leading them away from the castle grounds. Nanna didn't know what to make of his reticence, but it had been a long time since their last chat. The two rode together in silence as the craggy Thracian landscape passed them by. It was a fair jaunt, easily a third of an hour from town.

"Here," Ares finally said as the two crested a particularly steep hill.

The land around Thracia was mostly barren, a fact contributing to the aggression between the northern and southern halves of the peninsula. However, the scene from atop this hill was different. Needle grass and succulents covered the entire downward expanse of land, which eventually gave way to a steep coast and the Thracian ocean. Here and there grew tenacious shrubs, and even a few wildflowers. A wild herd of ibex cast curious glances to the two riders before returning to their forage. It was the most vibrant Thracia she had seen, one she didn't realize existed.

Nanna held her breath, taking in the scenery.

Ares dismounted and walked over to her, offering a hand. "Ares?" she asked in confusion.

Her cousin smiled, chuckling softly. "There was no riding lesson. I just wanted to show you," he said simply.

Nanna accepted his hand and gracefully dismounted. "And you couldn't have just asked?" she pointed out, peering curiously at him.

The cavalier cast his stormy gaze to the ocean below. After a long moment, he finally turned back to his companion. "The eclipsed path, to walk it is a burden fated to be carried in lone obscurity. The black knight knows kismet cannot be defied in this."

She couldn't help but giggle in response. But Nanna immediately stifled it, seeing that he was dead serious. "Did something happen?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice.

Ares closed his eyes and breathed deep. "The fairer sex... fair as they are, would that they did not match in capriciousness."

Nanna frowned. "Something happened with Lene, didn't it?"

The cavalier grimaced, turning his almond eyes back to the ocean.

"Want to tell me about it?" The troubadour took a step closer, listening patiently.

"Lewyn came clean," he explained softly. "Told her that he's her father. That means she's a Silessian princess."

"Oh." Nanna didn't know quite how to respond. "Is that a bad thing?"

Ares shook his head. "No. But his grace Shanan has taken to courting Lene, and she seems to reciprocate his feelings."

The troubadour felt her heart breaking for her cousin. "I... I'm sorry," she told him.

"It's fine," he said with a pained sigh. "After all, a marriage alliance between Silesse and Isaach is a sound idea. And if they're happy, then all the better."

Nanna peered up at Ares' stormy face. "But it sounds like the black knight isn't."

Another sigh escaped her cousin's lips. "Sorry. It was stupid of me to bring you here," he said quietly.

Silence gripped the two for a while, before Nanna finally found the words to respond. "It's so different," she said, her eyes once again roving across the scenery. "How is it so unlike the rest of Thracia?"

"It's called rain shadow," Ares explained idly. "Moisture can't reach past the mountains, just like over in Yied. And even here where there's moisture, the landscape is too rugged for agriculture."

"Thanks for showing me." Nanna couldn't quite muster cheer in her voice, but she did try.

"Forget it." Ares turned and approached his horse, which had taken to grazing on some of the nearby succulents. "Let's go."

The two cousins mounted and began the long ride back to the castle. Ares was silent, and Nanna decided it best not to force conversation from him. They left the grassy upland scene behind them, and the landscape grew craggy once more as they made their way back to the Thracian heartland.

After they'd returned their horses to the stable, the two made their way back to the castle library. Nanna's father and fiancé were still playing chess, though quite likely a different game than before.

Leif glanced up as the two entered, annoyance plain on his face. "What took you so long?" he asked, glancing balefully at Ares.

The cavalier gave an ever-so-slightly sardonic bow in response. "I did not intend to monopolize your fiancé's time, your lordship. I'll see that it doesn't happen again." With that, he turned on his heel and left.

The Thracian prince finished watching Ares vanish from the doorway, then cast a glance to his fiancé. "Well? Did you learn much?"

Nanna graced him with a warm smile and gave a pretty curtsy. "Yes, your lordship. Yes I did."


	4. Halcyon Days

The jaunt from Thracia to Peruluke was long, and there was not much to do. Nanna took to spending some of her evenings talking to her cousin. Although he didn't talk much, Ares never stopped her from sharing secondhand accounts of the late Eltshan. While the cavalier didn't seem to grow any less aloof, Nanna found herself looking forward to their time spent together.

Seliph's liberation army was strong, and its cause was just; it was only a matter of course that Peruluke would fall. The defeated scraps of imperial soldiers and Loptyrian cultists retreated to Chronos, and Seliph's forces eked out another few days' rest. It was short-lived, with the imperial prince soon calling his army to march on Chronos.

The warriors got into a scrap with some cultists just outside Peruluke, but made it through no worse for the wear. Night approached, and Seliph's army made camp outside the nearby forest. Nanna's survival skills still had a ways to go, but she could reliably pitch her own tent by now.

The troubadour settled down outside her quarters and began reading a book in day's waning light. It was a romance, the sort she had always enjoyed reading growing up. While they didn't always have happy endings, Nanna did find herself somewhat taken with the idea of being treated like a princess. Ultimately, that was one of the reasons she'd begun falling for Leif.

Nanna glanced up, hearing the sound of footsteps. She was surprised to see the very same Thracian prince who'd been on her mind.

"Good evening, my princess," he said with a charming smile.

"Good evening, Leif. Did you need something?"

He shook his head bemusedly, stepping toward her. "I don't need an excuse to see my future queen, do I?"

Nanna quickly took to her feet and gave him a pretty curtsy. "Of course not, your lordship," she agreed. "Do you know if Miletos was always like this?" she asked, changing the subject.

Leif grabbed her hand in his own, it's warmth contrasting the coolness of early night. "No," he explained, "it used to be a commercial hub. Traders would come from miles around, you know."

She flashed him a grateful smile. "I wish I could have seen it back in its heyday," Nanna said quietly. "I imagine it was wonderful."

"Nanna," the prince said somberly, "Let's come back here once the war is over and Miletos is restored."

The troubadour turned him a quizzical glance, unsure what he meant.

"Finn told me once," he said, squeezing her hand. "My parents came here a long time ago, and father... he bought a beautiful pearl tiara for my mother."

Nanna laughed merrily at the idea. "How romantic," she said with a bright smile.

The prince turned toward his companion, pulling her into his embrace. "Nanna, I'd like to do the very same thing with you, someday," he whispered.

A strange feeling emerged in the pit of Nanna's stomach. "Leif," she began—but he cut her off with a kiss.

In that instant, the feeling in her stomach became panic and she shoved the prince from her, cutting his kiss short. "Y-your highness..." she stammered, feeling her cheeks redden.

Leif grinned awkwardly, feeling self-conscious. "Is something wrong, love?"

Nanna's thoughts were reeling, and she didn't quite know what to say. "Leif, I... I'm sorry..." she barely managed to say.

"Sorry about what?" he asked, reaching for her hand.

The troubadour stepped back a pace, crossing her arms reflexively. "Father's promise," she told him. "I can't..."

The Thracian prince cocked his head and glanced sidelong at her. "What about it?"

 _If he's going to make me say it, then I'll say it..._

"Your highness," she stammered, searching for the courage to continue, "You know that I've lived my life in Lenster. And father pledged my hand to you, that I might be your queen one day." Nanna glanced up at her fiancé, feeling her eyes burn with unshed tears. "We were going to be happy together, Leif. But... but I can't do it." Her breath caught in her throat, loosing itself as a ragged sob. "L-Leif... I can't do it, I can't stay in Lenster with you," she cried.

Leif straightened, shocked as though by a jolt of electricity. His face darkened with scorn and he struck Nanna across the cheek with an open hand. The suddenness of it left her stunned, completely at a loss for words.

The memories of time spent in Lenster with Leif and Finn welled to the surface of her thoughts, muddling themselves with biting pain and confusion. The unshed tears in her eyes began falling down her face, and another painful sob tore itself from her chest.

Nanna took a step back from him, now trembling. "P-please, Leif..." she begged him.

He struck her again, this time across the head. She felt her strength give, and the troubadour fell to the ground.

Everything was wrong. Nanna felt icy despair creeping into her heart and wasn't sure what was happening. None of her books had ever been like this, they'd never been this _wrong_. There would always be a place in her heart for her first romance, the very one clashing with her present reality. The man before her couldn't possibly be the same Leif she'd cared for all this time, it simply wasn't possible.

With her ears still ringing, Nanna did not hear the sound of footsteps falling.

"Get away from her," a voice like steel cut through the mounting darkness, and somehow it was her late uncle.

"It's you again," Leif muttered. "What the hell do you want, freak?"

"Get," the voice repeated bitterly, "away from her. Or risk my wrath."

The Thracian prince laughed mockingly. "Tell me more about your wrath, blithering fool."

"I grow weary staying my sword hand, prince. The cursed Mystletainn craves the blood of dastardly villains like you. Leave, before I grant it slake its thirst."

"To hell with both of you," the Thracian prince snarled. He cast a scornful glare at Nanna and spit on her. "Stupid inbred bitch."

More footsteps fell, but Nanna was oblivious to them. This scene was just another one of mother's stories, another account of the late Agustrian lord and his dear sister.

Eltshan reached out with his hand, and Nanna couldn't help but recoil. The monster in the shape of Leif was gone, and yet she couldn't stop shaking.

"Nanna, it's me," said the phantom. His face was stormy, caught between grief and concern for his dear sister. "Nanna..."

"Leave me alone," she managed between ragged sobs.

"Nanna, I can't..." Eltshan said with a weak smile. "I... I can't do that." He wrapped his arms gently around her, and of course it had been Ares all along. She lifted her tear-streaked gaze, and there was he was. The young woman felt her heart flutter as their eyes met, and she understood why her mother had loved Eltshan so deeply.

"Ares," she managed, but her voice sounded brittle and far-away. She leaned into his shoulder and began to weep aloud, releasing all her pain and confusion.

The cavalier held Nanna close, pressing his cheek against her flaxen hair. "Nanna..." he said soothingly, "Nanna, I'm sorry."


	5. Kismet

Nanna woke to the faint jostling of leather straps and metal. With conciousness came the pain alongside her head, reminding her of the nights' previous events. She sighed sullenly, but managed to open her eyes. She was in Ares' tent, where he'd brought her earlier. The young girl had cried herself to the point of exhaustion before falling asleep. It took her several moments for Nanna to realize that her cousin was packing his things.

"Ares?" she asked, and her voice was as fragile as before.

The black knight glanced her way, gracing her with one of his rare smiles. "Nanna, you should go back to sleep." His voice was sweeter than an oasis after a week's travel in the spiteful Yied.

"Ares," she repeated. "What are you doing?" she asked dumbly. But even so, she knew the answer.

His smile vanished, and his expression became distant. "I cannot abide Leif's behavior, milady. Nor can I expect Lord Seliph to chastise his own flesh and blood."

Hearing the pain in his voice, Nanna's breath hitched painfully in her throat. "Ares, don't..."

The cavalier shook his head ruefully, and his lips quirked into a bittersweet smile. "I've told you once, milady. Mine is the burden to be carried in lone obscurity. Kismet cannot be defied in this."

"Idiot," Nanna told him, since every other word escaped her. "Why?"

"The black knight..." Ares struggled to find his words, "... a heart spurned by lost love is nothing. But because of the knight—because of me, you've been hurt. I'll regret it til the day I die."

"Idiot," she repeated. "If you're leaving, then I'm going with you."

Her cousin let loose a strange sound, half laughter and half sob. Tears began rolling down his cheeks, but he managed another smile. "Nanna... sweet Nanna." He took her in his arms once again, and Nanna felt her heart rejoice.

"Kismet be damned," she murmured, returning his warm embrace. "The black knight's burden is too much for him to carry alone... I won't let him."

The two finally parted, and their gazes met. "There was no love spurned," he said softly. "I... from the moment I first laid eyes on you, Nanna," Ares explained, "I couldn't reciprocate Lene's feelings after that. That's why she and Shanan..."

"What are you talking about?" she teased. But she knew precisely what he meant.

The cavalier gently placed a hand on her cheek and gave her a sweet kiss.

"Nanna." His voice was little more than a whisper. "Nanna, I love you."

She felt her heart flutter, and a smile graced her lips. Tears resumed falling down her face, but they were tears of joy. The troubadour gripped her lover tightly, leaning against his broad chest. For the first time, she could share her pain with someone. She felt vulnerable, but she was glad to be able to truly share her weakness—to not have to feign strength in the face of countless tragedies.

The young woman lost track of how long he held her like that, as though time had stopped between them. "Eltshan would be so proud of you," she finally told him.

"What next, then?" Ares asked, running his fingers through her flaxen hair. "Lord Seliph's fight isn't yet done. Will you stay and fight alongside him?"

Nanna lifted her head from his chest and smiled her best smile. "I don't care, as long as I'm with you."

The black knight smiled thinly. "Then we stay with the liberation army. I won't let Leif hurt you ever again. And after all this is over, we'll go to Agustria. I won't rest until I've rebuilt the nation of father's dreams."

She tittered softly at him. "If anyone can do it, it's you."

Ares squeezed her fondly. "Only if you lend me your strength, Nanna."

"Of course, Ares," she said, feeling her cheeks redden. "M-my life is yours... I won't make the same mistake mother did."

"Hmm?"

"Perhaps their love wasn't meant to be, but ours is unstoppable..."

It was Ares' turn to blush. "N-Nanna," he stammered, "how can you say that with a straight face?"

Nanna laughed, and for the first time she could remember, she was truly happy. "Black knight, my love... fate has bound us together. I'll love you til the end of time itself."

Ares parted from her embrace, and took her hand in his own. "Nanna, sweet Nanna. Words can't express the depths of my adoration for you."

A blissful sigh passed the young princess' lips. The moment was cheesy and saccharine, just like one of her favorite romances. But to her, it was a dream come true.


End file.
